Manchester City manager, Enzo Maresca has described the Video Assistant Referee error surrounding Erling Haaland’s controversial winning goal against Manchester United as an unavoidable part of football.

City defeated United 1-0 at Old Trafford on Sunday, with Haaland’s decisive goal generating controversy after VAR failed to overturn the effort following a review.

Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday ahead of City’s Carabao Cup meeting with Norwich on Thursday, Maresca acknowledged the VAR error but said the incident should not take attention away from his team’s overall performance.

He said concentrating solely on the disputed decision would undermine the quality of City’s display in the derby.

“To focus on that one episode after the performance we produced is quite poor,” Maresca said.

“The VAR error is part of football,” he added.

The City boss also recalled a previous contentious decision involving his side at Old Trafford, saying the club was still waiting for an apology over Marcus Rashford’s goal in City’s 2-1 defeat to United in January 2023.

Maresca, however, said his priority was the performance against United and the three points secured from the derby.

Meanwhile, he confirmed that City would make changes to the team for Thursday’s Carabao Cup fixture against Norwich.

According to the manager, the match would provide an opportunity for some players to increase their fitness levels and regain form as the club prepares for a demanding period involving both Premier League and Champions League commitments.